Charge laid after man scales Sydney’s Town Hall, waves Palestinian flag during anti-Israeli action

A young man who allegedly scaled one of Sydney’s most prominent landmarks to wave a Palestinian flag during a mass anti-Israeli protest has been charged.

A 20-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly climbed scaffolding to wave a Palestinian flag from Sydney Town Hall during mass protests against deadly Israeli attacks in Gaza.

NSW Police said the incident happened at 4.40pm on Saturday, prompting the man to be arrested and taken to Day Street Police Station, where he was charged with the trespassing offence of entering closed land without an excuse.

Video posted online shows a man waving a Palestinian flag from the apex of the column-lined facade at the heritage-listed building’s main entrance.

A man climbing Sydney's Town Hall during protests supporting Palestinians. Picture: Twitter

The accused has been granted conditional bail to appear at the Downing Centre court next month.

Hundreds of protesters also rallied in Melbourne on Saturday to call for a Palestinian state, despite chilly temperatures.

They gathered at the State Library of Victoria before marching to Parliament House, blaring music and chanting “Out, out Israel out”, “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza”.

A huge crowd gathered at Sydney Town Hall to join people around the world protesting Israel’s latest attack against Palestinians. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” the crowd chanted at Parliament House.

Organiser Tasnim Sammak said the Melbourne protesters “showed solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and condemnation of the aggression launched by Israel”.

Mass protests have erupted around the world as alarm mounts about the violence that erupted in Gaza and Israel this week – the worst since 2014.

The man allegedly climbed scaffolding to reach the top of the column-lined facade at Sydney Town Hall. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

Escalating clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police at a holy hilltop in East Jerusalem helped spark the fighting.

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, fired rockets after a warning to withdraw from the site, which triggered Israel to launch retaliatory air strikes.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Brooklyn, New York. Picture: Kena Betancur/AFP

The strikes have hit a refugee camp and flattened a high-rise building containing the bureaus of news organisations Al Jazeera and Associated Press.

AP reports the dramatic escalation has included bombing the home of a senior Hamas leader.

Al Jazeera estimates at least 145 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been killed in Gaza since Monday, while in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, at least 13 Palestinians have died.

At least 10 people in Israel have also been killed, the organisation reports.

A Palestinian family arrives at Al-Shifa hospital after intensive bombardments on Gaza City on Saturday. Picture: Mohammed Abed/AFP

Social media has been swamped by people alarmed by the worsening conflict and voicing support for Palestinians.